Specifying Materials For Your Self Build

Being hands-on with your self build project has many advantages but it can also be overwhelming when you realise the sheer scale of choices that you are faced with when deciding on building materials. Every aspect of the build will require a huge number of decisions and to add to the confusion you may find that your requirements change as the build progresses.To make your life easier and ensure the build goes according to your schedule and budget you will need to decide on your materials and eliminate those that don’t fit with your budget or style early on in the process.

Sometimes Alternatives Are Better

You may be tempted to go for authentic materials such as wood and stone but there are lots of modern alternatives which are a lot cheaper and in some cases they actually perform and look better. A good example of this is using slate and stone cladding instead of natural stone. Often alternative materials are easier to install than their natural counterparts so they require less skill to install. This will lower the cost of installation or make it easier for you to do yourself.

Which Wood To Choose

When building your own home it’s likely that you will be needing lots of wood for a variety of uses. Wood is a great building material as it’s strong and durable while being flexible and renewable and it looks great as well. The type oftimber you choose depends on what you are using it for.

Wood is strong, durable, long lasting, restorable, recyclable, renewable and of course, attractive. With so many different types of wood available you should consider what you need it for and allocate a form of wood best suited to each job. For example engineered timber is perfect for flooring, pressure-treated timber is great for decking and western red cedar is ideal for fencing so the wood you choose depends on its purpose. Your budget also plays a big role in which wood you choose as you may want solid oak floors but may find that your budget only allows for laminate. Once again specifying the best materials to suit your decor and budget is important.

Know Where To Look

So where can you find the best range of materials to choose from for your self build? Thankfully there are some useful online tools available for specifiersto search a huge range of building products, materials and fixtures and they also act as a comparison tool which is ideal when you are faced with lots of choice.

Knowing where to source your materials and building products is essential for saving you both time and money when undergoing a self build as you can be assured that you have chosen the best materials that your budget allows and are able to eliminate others early in the process. As with any build good planning is vital and this includes specifying materials at an early stage.